SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who grew up just three hours away in a small dusty town where folks stop to get gas on their drive to Las Vegas, who had only one school even interested in giving him a college scholarship, lets his mind race as his USA teammates walk past him into the clubhouse.
It was just a few years ago he was a nobody in Kingman, Arizona and now on the eve of the World Baseball Classic, the Detroit Tigers lefty is just nine months away from receiving the largest contract by a pitcher in baseball history.
“For the most part, I try to live in the moment," Skubal says, “and just appreciate where my feet are, and continue to strive to the best version of myself."
Yet, in a sea of stardom on Team USA, filled with other MVPs, Cy Young winners and All-Stars, Skubal is the one getting the most attention.
He’s the one everyone wants next winter, the one who’ll break the bank, and perhaps the first American League pitcher to ever win three consecutive Cy Young awards.
Skubal would love to stay put in Detroit, but in a wide-ranging interview with USA TODAY Sports, reveals that the Tigers never made a single long-term offer trying to keep him this winter, or even bothered to negotiate with him after he filed for salary arbitration.
“There is no offer," Skubal tells USA TODAY Sports, “and there won't be an offer until the end of the season….My focus is on playing baseball and winning this year. I’ll deal with the contract stuff at the end of the year, and then we'll kind of see. And that’s fine. It’s their decision."
Detroit vs. Everybody in 2026?
Skubal has no idea if the Tigers are serious about keeping him past this year considering their only long-term offer was two years ago for less than $80 million. But if he departs, he savors the idea of first being on the first Tigers’ team to win a World Series in 42 years. This is a team built for October, signing Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract and bringing back three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.
“That’s where my focus is, trying to win a World Series for the city of Detroit, the team that drafted me in 2018," Skubal says. “The Tigers fans are excited, they’re really invested in this club, and so are we. There’s a different energy in camp this year about the guys that we brought in and additions that we've made, and there's a true belief and trying to win a World Series. I think that's awesome.
“It’s not that wasn't the belief last year, but I think the focus was more realistically on kind of winning the division and getting back in the playoffs.
"We didn't win the division, but we made the playoffs and made another good run. You can kind of see that a World Series is attainable with the additions that we've made. And that's all you can ask for, is to play on a team with World Series aspirations year in and year out. So it’s going to be a ton of fun this year."
Skubal's WBC pickle
Skubal smiles talking about enjoying life being on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, hanging out with future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, and 23-year-old sensation Paul Skenes, but he also cringes, knowing what you’re thinking, reading what you’re saying and just wishes folks would understand.
Instead of being grateful he’s participating in the first round of the WBC, which begins Friday night against Brazil at Daikin Park in Houston, the public seems disappointed Skubal is pitching Saturday evening against Great Britain in the second game of USA’s first round where he plans to throw about 50 to 55 pitches.
The next day, he will be gone, flying back to Florida to finish spring training with the Tigers.
His WBC participation will be over, although he could visit his USA teammates and root them on from the bench if they advance to the championship game March 17 in Miami, he says, taking a three-hour drive from Lakeland.
Skubal will be USA’s lone starter to make just one start. Logan Webb, Paul Skenes and Nolan McLean are each scheduled to pitch twice, with McLean, who has eight career starts for the New York Mets, potentially pitching the championship game.
The folks at home hate the idea that he’s one-and-done, believing if he’s really committed to the WBC, he should stay with his teammates and pitch twice during the tournament. Skubal even has WBC officials and teammates hoping he changes his mind, but for now he’s not budging, certainly not with free agency looming.
“The guys have been cool about it," Skubal says, “but I mean publicly, it’s a little bit different perception. But I think they understand what it means for me to be here. Obviously, I want to be in the room, you know, and that's cool for them to even take me aside and be like, 'it's awesome that you're here.'"
'The boys love it'
Players like three-time Yankees MVP Aaron Judge, captain of Team USA, have effusively praised Skubal for being on the team and have condemned those who are critical over his limited role.
“He's got the two Cy Young awards, but this guy's about to make half a billion dollars here in the next offseason," Judge said. “So, for him to put it all on the line for his country, and come out here and show up for us…..You know, maybe it is just one game, but you know there's a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it."
They’d love it a whole lot more if Skubal sticks around. They are privately hoping that Skubal gets so caught up in the WBC frenzy that he changes his mind, and decides to pitch again in the knockout rounds.
“Those [conversations] have already started," Skubal says, laughing. “So, we'll see. I mean, when you get in the moment and you're competing, especially in the next four-ish days with games that really matter, we’ll see."
So, you’re saying there’s a chance?
“Yeah, sure," said Skubal, who’s scheduled to pitch for the Tigers in a spring training game the day of USA’s potential semifinal game. “I need to get back to camp and get back to my routine, but I want to go to Miami and just be at those games. … I might just be there and be a cheerleader."
Skubal certainly has the final call, but even when he finally agreed to pitch in the WBC, it was against agent Scott Boras’ advice and the Tigers’ wishes. He didn’t commit until Boras, the Tigers, USA manager Mark DeRosa and USA pitching coach Andy Pettitte agreed to the plan of making one start and returning to Lakeland.
“We kind of explained that, 'Hey, I want to be part of this, but it’s going to be in a limited role,'" Skubal says. “So, once the plan was kind of laid out what to expect from me, and what my workload is, that's kind of when it became an easy decision to be here."
Skubal's top WBC concern? Timing
Really, it’s just the timing of the WBC that gives Skubal reservations, just as it has with plenty of pitchers in the past. Their arms aren’t built up for the regular season, and suddenly, you’re thrown into a playoff environment.
Skubal and others wish the World Baseball Classic would be played in July during an extended All-Star break – like they’re planning in 2028 with the Olympics – instead of interrupting spring training.
“Hopefully they get this tournament right to where it can be kind of a mid-season thing," Skubal says. “That’s kind of the only knock I got on it. It’s just the timing for starting pitching doesn't really work. You know, it doesn't add up. It's a very limited capacity of being able to go.’’
Pitchers in the WBC are restricted from throwing more than 60 pitches in the first round, 75 in the quarterfinals and 90 pitches in the semifinals and finals.
“I'd love to come here and just have a game where I have 100 pitches and be ready to go," Skubal says. “So hopefully the Olympics, they get that at the All-Star break, and they get it right. That way we can send out the best lineup and arms, and they can be at max, full-go. And they don't have to worry about injuries.
“If you look at injury rates, a lot of them happen in spring, and then it kind of flattens out. And then a lot of them happen right after the All-Star break, and then it kind of flattens out. So those are the two times you have a little bit heightened risk. And that's why the timing is a little bit different with this tournament and what I can bring to the table.
“I mean, I would love to say this is a postseason game, and go as long as you want. But it's just not the way it is.’’
Still, Skubal says, this is something he’ll forever cherish. It’s the greatest collection of talent he’s ever seen. He’s still blown away that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 homers last season, was the one catching him during his bullpen session Tuesday afternoon with seven of his fellow pitchers intently watching.
“I mean, that's a big reason of why I wanted to be a part of this," Skubal says, “even going into a contract year and free agency. It’s like, I don't want to miss the opportunity to be a fly on the wall in this room, just with all the knowledge and baseball presence that's around. Watching these guys prepare, watching the pitchers prepare, watching the hitters prepare, how they get themselves ready to go, their bullpens, playing catch, workouts, nutrition, all of that stuff.
“It’s just such a cool experience to be part of. It’s like, I can’t pass up an opportunity to be teammates with Clayton Kershaw."
Skubal and Paul Skenes link up
He also gets the chance to pitch alongside Skenes, the defending NL Cy Young winner, for the first time.
“He’s a great player, a great talent,’’ Skubal said. “He’s lived up to every ounce of the hype that he’s got, and that’s special."
Certainly, Skenes will be indebted to Skubal for raising the bar with his $32 million arbitration victory, shattering the previous record of $19.75 million for a starting pitcher set by David Price in 2015. The win was momentous for the players union, particularly with Skubal being on the union’s eight-person executive committee.
“There’s a ton of pride," Skubal says. “You look at a rising tide lifts all boats in that aspect, so I take a lot of pride in that. As a player, you want to leave the game in a better spot than how you found it. So I think going to arb and going through that process is always a great one, but it’s good to get my feet in there and take a stand for players.
“And, obviously, get what I feel like I deserve with what I’ve accomplished so far."
If Skubal is earning $32 million in arbitration, and almost certainly will become the highest-paid pitcher in history through free agency, can you imagine the payday when Skenes starts to negotiate?
“His market is going to be crazy," Skubal says. “He’s got a Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young and three more years to see what happens. I’m excited for him. Obviously, he deserves it."
For now, free agency can wait. The USA players have even avoided trying to recruit Skubal a year early, saying they don’t want to interfere with the task in hand.
That’s winning a gold medal, with Skubal planning to do his part against Great Britain.
“I think the energy and environment is going to be awesome,’’ Skubal says. “I can’t wait to feel it. It's the first time I've ever been able to wear the USA jersey, and it's going to be special. My family and friends will get to enjoy that. It will be pretty special for everybody involved.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun."
Who knows, maybe so much fun that Skubal’s teammates persuade him to hang around just a little while longer?
“Is there a chance?" DeRosa said, smiling. “There’s always a chance."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal talks contract, WBC plan and Tigers World Series hopes
